in between ?.? jo togame???

i. vending machine incident

"Taiga, no don't run he-"

Too late. Taiga sprinted out of the door, fast as a track runner and Atticus quickly ran after him.

"gonna think you're playing..." I finished my sentences to myself before rushing out as well.

I saw Taiga stepping on a peebles and falling flat to his face where he lay motionless there. Now everyone was gawking at him while Atticus casually sniffed at him.

When I reached his side, I crouched down and flipped his body over to see that he had fallen unconscious until Atticus came and licked his face.

He jerked awake and screamed again.

┉

Taiga sat on the cafe's chair, dabbing ice on his head meanwhile Dad gently brushed medicine on his face which was covered with bruises and cuts from today's fight.

"Ouch." He winced in pain.

"Oh sorry there." Dad gave him a friendly smile.

"I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused today Mr. [LAST NAME]"

Dad smiled. "Don't be Taiga, see Atticus' a good dog, he's just energetic most of the time, that's all."

Taiga glanced at Atticus who stared back at him, panting with tongue out. He slowly and hesitantly stroked my dog's golden curl again with a sheepish smile.

Feeling guilty, I stood up from my seat and offered him a drink.

"If coke is available please" He replied.

"We ran out of coke, I'll get it from the vending machine."

"No, no, no you don't have to-"

I already pushed the door open into the night and decided to buy coke from the next block vending machine. I reached my destination in a minute and was welcomed by a rich variety of soda displayed colourfully under the vending machine glowing light.

I rummaged through my pockets until I finally felt the cold skin of my coins. Inserting the coin, I pressed the keypad for the coke.

Nothing.

I slapped, kicked, and hit the machine continuously but no sign of life.

I blinked before frustration built up on me and I kicked the machine again.

"You ought to be joking!" Another aggressive kick.

"Do you have any idea what my day was like?" Another hit.

"The freak like where would I find a delinquent boyfriend in a short-!" I raised my leg to give another kick but stopped mid-air when a voice disturbed me from behind.

"Yahoo." The person said lazily and rather slowly.

I craned my neck to see a tall boy with coloured sunglasses and clad in sweat clothing. He waved at me with a smile.

"Oh hi?" I replied, confused.

"You scared the children." He spoke with the same tone.

I furrowed my forehead. "What children?"

Two heads peeked from behind him, a boy and a girl who were around the age of six, looking scared while they fixed their eyes on me.

"Oh." Realizing I still had my leg mid-air I quickly drew it down with a sheepish laugh.

He paced to the vending machine, standing right next to me while the two children trailed behind him.

"It broke?" He asked and I assumed his slow-paced speech was his everyday normal tone.

Standing next to him that close, I could make out the forest green of his eyes behind the coloured sunglasses. Beneath the flooding glow of the vending machine, his pristine fair complexion shone as light danced on his dark raven hair. He pulled out a coin from his purse and inserted it, followed by tapping the keypad with his long fingers.

He looked oddly familiar.

"Oh, it really broke." He spoke again. "Should we kick it?"

I opened my mouth to reply and before I could do so, he swung his leg hard against the vending machine, startling both me and the children.

"Bro!" I yelled. "What's with that?"

"Huh?" He said calmly and pointed at the machine. "It took our money."

He drew another kick and it shook the machine harder.

The following minutes consisted of us kicking the machine from every direction as we grew more and more frustrated. Well, I don't know for the boy next to me, his face shows no expression while anger plastered on mine.

My feet accidentally landed on the window and it shattered sound enveloped the place, leaving a rugged hole behind.

I froze there, reflecting on what I had done. Internally thanking there was no one else in the street except us.

"Tsk tsk." The tall boy shook his head before he started picking up soda cans and bottles and cradled them in his arms. The two children scuttled near and started collecting their own share of drinks

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Um...stealing?" He proceeded to do just that.

"I mean yes but-"

"Hey!"

We turned to see the laundry mat owner who had woken from his nap. The boy stared at him nonchalantly while panic grew on me when seeing the large stick he held.

"Hello-" I cut him off by grabbing him by his collar and my free hand dragging one of the kids.

"Run!"

The four of us ran in the opposite direction while the old man, despite his fragile body, was hot on our tail.